2: Geography | England is an island in Northern Europe and in the Elizabethan Era it was North-West of the Holy Roman Empire. England has a generally warm climate throughout the year and is subject to fair winters. Although rain is a frequent occurrence, the mild climate as well as it's beauty, England is a popular area for visiting as well as living. | freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com | themaritimegallery.co.uk

3: England has many rivers running into the mainland. Also, cutting down the center of England are mountain ranges called the Cumbrian Mountains and Cambrian Mountains. On the southern most part of the island there are no mountains thus creating space for large cities such as London and Birmingham. The English Channel, the Strait of Dover, and the North Sea separate England from the rest of Europe. | http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/442-10480 | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5279796.stm

4: Religion | Witchery and Witchcraft were a huge part of Elizabethan England. The populations was, as a majority, very superstitious. These superstitions developed in every aspect of life especially the unknown. People used witches and their witchcraft to explain things that they could not explain, such as sickness and natural phenomenon. | cyberwitchcraft.com | cyberwitchcraft.com | cyberwitchcraft.com

5: The actual declared religion of England in that time was Protestant, not Roman Catholic as it had been previously. It was Protestant because Queen Elizabeth felt illegitimate under the Catholic Church. Elizabeth was very tolerant of Catholic though. She believed that they both worshiped Christ so there shouldn't be any dispute. Although Elizabeth was Protestant, she had some aspects of it that she didn't like such as a minister being allowed to marry. | openlibrary.org | openlibrary.org | discovershropshire.org.uk

6: Achievements | During the Elizabethan Era, many important achievements took place. One major achievement was the improved agriculture technologies and inventions. One agricultural achievement was the Woollen Cloth trade. This resulted from the enormous amount of sheep. | great10hosting.com | sharonscrapbook.blogspot.com

7: Another major achievement was a new form of an old style painting - Miniature painting. Elizabeth's favorite court artist, Nicholas Hilliard was famous for miniatures. Music was also a huge achievement in the Elizabethan Era. During the life and rule of Elizabeth, it would be rude for a guest to not sing. The lute was also an agreeable instrument to listen to as well as to play. The Waits were town musicians who would play at social gatherings. They would play originally composed pieces. | qwiki.com | larsdatter.com

8: Politics | During the Elizabethan Era, the type of government was a Monarchy and Elizabeth I was Queen. Elizabeth did not completely rule by herself. She had a Privy Council which was appointed by herself. The Privy Council helped Elizabeth make decisions. Although Elizabeth had the help of others, she still created some odd laws and allowed for torturous punishments. Elizabeth's main adviser was Sir William Cecil (right). | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_in_the_Elizabethan_era | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethan_government

9: The Essex Rebellion was a rebellion started by a man named Robert Devereux, who was the second earl of Essex. Essex had been forbidden to return to England but in September of 1599 he made an appearance in the Queen's bedchamber. He was brought to court so they could decide whether or not he was guilty for his disobedience. Finally he was found guilty and was sentenced to virtual confinement and his office was taken from him. The next August, he was free again. He went with some other men on February 8th to London to try and get an audience with the Queen. The chief adviser, Cecil, proclaimed Essex a traitor. | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Devereux,_2nd_Earl_of_Essex#Essex_rebellion | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Devereux,_2nd_Earl_of_Essex#Essex_rebellion | The Essex Rebellion

10: Economy | The Economy during the Elizabethan Era was fair. By no means was it a "Roaring Twenties" but it was not the "Great Depression" either. During this time, there was prosperous trade. Based on what social class you were in, you had different types of food. For example, nobility and Monarchs ate meat, a rarity for those of a lower class. | thelostcolony.org | theconventicle.blogspot.com

11: One major and important import was Tobacco. Tobacco had just been introduced to England. In the New World, Tobacco was the cause of wealth and because it was an import to England, it was a source of wealth increase as well. Because there was not a high supply of it and the demand was high, it created business. Another item that created economy growth was salt. Salt was used to preserve meat and if you didn't have it then meat would go bad very soon. Tobacco and Salt helped England's economy greatly. | ehow.co.uk | avoca37.org | foodsubs.com

12: Society | The Social Hierarchy in Elizabethan England was very defined and strict. Women were brought up being told that they were inferior to men. In order of most powerful to least, it went: Monarch, Nobility, Gentry, Merchant and finally, Laborers. Each rank had specific duties and requirements of them. Rules restraining them occurred as well. Also in Elizabethan England, family was very important. The birth rate was very low so therefore, women would try to conceive as often as possible. | english260a.wikispaces.com

13: As stated before, family was a huge part of this era. They were mainly important because if one was born into a low or high class family, one would stay in that class for their whole life. Males would inherit land, wealth and occupation from their fathers as well, thus straining the importance of family. Wealthy nobles would partake in many varieties of enjoyment. For example, hawking was a popular pass time. Plays and festivals took place frequently and those who could afford them often took part in them. | shakespeares-sonnets.com | tumblr.com | godecookery.com

14: Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon on April 23, 1564. His father, John Shakespeare was a glover and was relatively wealthy. Shakespeare was one of eight children, two of which dying at young ages leaving William the oldest living child. When William was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway and together they bore three children. Their only son died at a young age, therefore leaving Shakespeare with no one to carry on his name (his two other children were girls). On April 23, 1616, 53 years after his birth, William Shakespeare died. | Shakespeare's Life | pbs.org | blog.eduify.com

15: In Shakespeare's plays, Old English is used. In that actual time period, people did not talk like that but in order to make his plays more dramatic, Shakespeare used this language. Some words he used have different meanings and some are just shortened forms of a word used today. For example, "ART" means "are" and ""'TIS" means "it's". | Shakespeare's Language | fireplacemall.com | babycupssilvergifts.com

16: Shakespeare is known for being a poet, playwrite as well as an actor. He wrote more than 30 plays (37 to be exact) as well as sonnets and poems. Shakespeare had a group of actors. They called themselves Lord Chamerlain's Men, but later changed to The King's Men. | Shakespeare's Career | flickr.com | abarnaby.blog.uvm.edu

17: Shakespeare plays fall under the categories of History, Comedy, and Tragedy. Two of Shakespeare's most famous plays are Romeo and Juliet as well as Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. In the Autumn of 1599, Shakespeare's theatre was opened. He called it The Globe Theatre. He along with the four other members of The King's Men owned it with him. | Shakespeare's Career | mswrede0708.wikispaces.com | http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/burying-hamlet.html | wsu.edu